Safety-envelop.



W. Ec SMITH.

SAFETY EN VELOP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1907.

Patented Dec. 1, 1.908.

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SAFETY, ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1907.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- jnventoz W. E. SMITH.

SAFETY ENVELOP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.19, 1907.

9Q5,757; A Patented Dec. 1 1908 3 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

"MN mamas WILLIAM E. SMITH, OF PINEVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SAFE TY-ENVE LOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1908;

Application filed November 19, 1907. Serial No. 402,889.

will become diflicult, and such an opening readily detected.

To these and other ends the invention resides in the formation of safety envelops' comprising substantially a series of compartments folded upon each other and effectively sealed as will hereinafter be fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of an envelop embodying my improvement, and showing the same in an open position.- F igs. 2, 3, 1, 5, 6 and 7 illustrate the various figures employed in the sealing of my envelop, and Fig. 8 illustrates the envelop closed.

The present invention is primarily in tended as an improvement upon the envelops now in general use for transmitting registered letters or packages through the mail. The construction in general use comprises an envelop of the ordinary formation having a sealing-flap provided with adhesive substance and'a series of small flaps formed upon the face of the envelop, provided with adhesive substance and adapted to be secured upon the sealing flap. With this construction the scaling flap is effectively retained upon the envelop, but 111 the transmission'cof the envelop through the mail the corners of the envelop become worn so that it is comparatively easy to insert a knife or other sharp instrument between the worn edges of'the envelop and extract the contents without much danger of detection. It has been known that in the course of long jour neys by the envelop now employed in the transmission of registered mail matter, the

edges of the envelop, due to the constant handling by various authorities through wlose hands it passes, and whose indorse' ment is required upon the envelop, have become so worn as to separate and the contents become lost in transit. It Wlll thus be seen that the present construction of envlops designed for the transmission of registered matter is defective for the reasons above enumerated, it being comprised of a single compartment, the edges easily become worn in transit and the contents easily 'accessible to unscrupulous persons, and with little fear of detection as the loss of the contents can easily be laid upon the wearing of the edges of the envelop in the course of handling and transit. i

To overcome the deficiencies of the envelop now used in the transmission of registered mail matter, I have provided a safety envelop comprising a compartment and a series ofprot'ecting flaps folded upon each other, and over the compartment, the: flaps being effectively sealed in a novel manner whereby the removal of the sealing flap of the envelop from the body of the envelop is entirely prevented without detection and whereby the edges of the envelop liable to wear in the course of transit of the envelop will not permit of the removal of the contents'of the envelop.

To accomplish the purposes of the inven: tion, I have provided the novel construction of envelops illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the numeral 1 desig? nates a blank sheet of heavy paper compris ing a series of faces 1, 2, 3 and 4, a sealing flap 5 and a series of side flaps. The faccl has its side flaps 6 provided with a slit 7 1 adjacent the line of folding 8, and a pair of slits or openings 10 near its free end and at] the lower corner thereof. The face 2 is pro- 1 vided with side flaps 11 upon each of its sides, and the face 3 is likewise provided upon its sides with the side flaps 12. The sealing flap 5 is of a width approximately equaling that of the face 1, from which it is extended and comprises a body portion 13 having a slit 1 1 and being provided with extending V-shaped fingers 15 upon its ends, and with. the central tongue 16 having the cars 17, and terminating in a lip 18. The slot 14 within the body portion 13 of the sealing flap 5 is of a width equaling that of the tongue 16. The V-shaped fingers 15, the cars 17 and the lip 18 are each adapted to receive a coating of adhesive material designated by the numeral 19.

In. assembling my improved envelop the contents are first placed upon the face 3 of the envelop and the end flap 4- folded upon the line 20 upon the face 3, the side fiapslQ are then folded upon the lines 21 over the end face 1-. is now l'olded upon the line 22 over the f. 2 and the side llaps .11 are each foldedupon the lines 23 towards each other and over the cornparttnent. The face 2 together with the folded portions of the device are now folded upon the line 9% and the flaps G folded thereon and over each other upon When the side flaps (l are folded the lines is. the slits or openings 10 of the flaps upon tach side of the face 1 of the envelop register with each other and are in a direct line with the tongue 16 and the slit l1 ol the sealing 'tlap The slits it) of the side flaps t3 and the slit l-loi" the body portion of the sealing flap 5 are of a width equaling each other and the width of the tongue 1th Vt hen the side flaps (gar e in their folded position the scaling flap 5 is bent forward upon the line and the ll shaped fingers inserted within the slits ot' the side flaps t3, the adhesive substance 19 upon the fingers being moistened to insure the adhesion of the fingers to the flaps. The ears 1? of the tongue it? are now folded upon themselves on tne lines 26, and the tongue inserted through the nearest slot 10 Within the side laps t5 and brought ift'n'ward between the tiaps and the outer side of the face 2 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 'i of the drawings. The tongue 10 is now bent; rearwardly and the lip 18 inserted within the outer opening or slit 1.0 of the side flaps 6 and brought l on Ward upon the tongue 16 through the opposite slits 10 of the flaps 6 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 of the (ir s-sings. The ears 1? are now bent rearwardly their normal. flat position, the adhesive material 19 moistened, the tongue 18 .l'taving its adhesive material moistened, now inserted within the slit ll of the sealing llap 5, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings, and the cars 17 pressed dowmvardly to insure til: adhesion of the ears to the envelop, and the envelop is completed and presents an appearance as illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

The compartment thus formed I ed 0 lently made.

From the above description it will be adapted for containitng registered mail matter which is provided with a con'ipartment adapted for containing the mail matter which is protected upon all of its sides and by a series of flaps and ilaces which will ellectively prevent; accidental losing of the contents of the envelop while in transit, due to the waning oi the edgesot the envelop and which, should the edges of the envelop become separated will warn the authorities that such separation was fraudull will be also observed that I have provided a novel means of scaling the envelop so as to entirely prevent its fraudulent opening by steaming or like means of opening en .'elops to which the present form of envelops is susceptible.

lv'hi lo I have described the preferred form 01- eonstruction ol cnvclops asthe device now presents itself to me. it will be understood that minor details ol construction within the scope of my invention may he resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ad tages of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention what is claimed as new is:

In a safety envelop an elongated body having lon 'itudinal scores a series of sidetlaps projecting laterally 'fl'tlll] the body between the scores. said flaps diminishing in length from the. top to the bottom flap, the top flaps having a series of slits, and a sealing flap having a slit 'and, being provided with projecting fingers and a reduced central tongue, and side ears uponthe tongue substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM E. ShlITH.

noted that l have tn'ovided an envelop Witnesses O. V. RILEY, Geo. H. REESE. 

